Domesticated animals are often fed and watered from bowls or other containers. In many cases, dispensers are attached to such bowls to provide a ready source of food and/or water. These bowls may be automated or gravity-fed. An automated dispenser releases a certain amount of food and/or water at a certain time, or when the food/water level drops below a certain point, and are typically mechanically and/or electronically actuated. A gravity-fed dispenser, by contrast, relies on the force of gravity to move food from the dispenser to the bowl.
In either case, the bowl is often full of food and/or water that may be spilled over its rim by bumping or knocking the bowl or the feeder. Indeed, as the feeder empties, there is less mass within the feeder to resist unwanted motion, and so accidental impacts may move the feeder and attached bowl more than if the feeder were full. This, in turn, may cause the contents of the bowl to spill over the rim. For example, in the case of a water dispenser, if bumped, a reservoir may release more water into the bowl area and the water level of the bowl may become almost level with the top of the bowl. Thus, a spill is likely to occur when a pet drinks from the bowl or if the device is accidentally bumped again.
Additionally, many dogs push food around with their nose and possibly over the edges of conventional bowls as they eat. In the case of a gravity feeder, if the dog were to continue to push food out of the bowl, the contents of the food storage reservoir located above the feeding bowl may be emptied, thus wasting food.